British Prime Minister Boris Johnson released a video thanking the British Tamil community for their contribution to life in the UK and expressed hopes for accountability in Sri Lanka.
In a video message that Johnson released on Twitter on the day of Britain’s general election, he said:
“I want to thank the Tamil community for everything they do for our country. And I think that the values of the Tamil community and the contribution they make to the NHS, to the entrepreneurship in our country, the value they attach to education, educational achievement make a fantastic difference.”
Johnson went on to add,
“I just want to say very much that I hope there will be a reconciliation in Sri Lanka, accountability for what has gone before us, what’s happened in the past and long term peace in Sri Lanka. Nandri.”
His message to the Tamil community comes after the Conservative Party manifesto last month emphasised its continued backing for “international initiatives” for reconciliation, stability and justice “across the world” and in “former and current conflict zones”, singling out the situations of divided states in Cyprus, Sri Lanka and the Middle East.
The Sri Lankan government reacted angrily to the manifesto pledges with several Sri Lankan politicians and Colombo’s High Commissioner stating it was “unacceptable” and calling for the manifesto to be “amended”.
